Hospital furniture



Nov. 22, i927. v1,650,293

W. W. MOREY ET AL HOSPITAL FURNITURE Y File-d Feb. 2G. 1926 Iig. ll 31a/vento@ WPI/Marty E 1i. 4r/12.529017 Patented Nov. 22, 1927.

UNITED vSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

WOR'IHIE W. MOREY A ND EDWARD R. ARMSTRONG, 0F COLUMBUS, OHIO, YASSIGNORS i TO F. O.V SCHOEDINGER, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

HosPi'rAL FURNITURE.

Application filed `February 26, 1926. Serial No..90,780.

This invention relates to improvements in hospital furniture, and has for its primary object the provision of a bed side table, particularly adapted for use in hospitals, with which is combined an adjustable and collapsible lshelf structure, which latter is of.

such form and mounting that when not vin active use the same may occupy a folded orl collapsed position lying parallel and adjacent to one side of the table, and when in an active position maybe'extended so as to provide a support permitting of the placing of articles, such as food trays and the like, thereon. Y

Another objectof the invention resides in the provision of a hospital table with which is combined a foldable shelf structure, Vand wherein the supporting means for the shelf structure includes a non-rotatable vertical standard slidably supported within fixed guides carried by the sid'eof the' table, and

wherein t-he standard is provided with a plurality of ratchet teeth cooperative 'with a pivoted locking detent which serves to maintain Vthe standard locked automatically *in any of its elevated positions of adjustment,l

so that the shelf or ledge carried in connection with the standard'may'be positioned at any desired elevation necessary tofsuit the convenience of the patient, andto adapt vthe shelf Structure either to project over the bed lof a reclining: patient',^or to permitjof the lowering ofthe same foruse when the pa-` tientis occupying a chair or, in otherwords to maintain theshelf structure in"k any desired horizontalfplane of adjustment. j lfurther,object resides in the provision of afoot` operated vreleasing means by which the detent may be removed from'engagement 4o withtheteeth of the shelf supporting stand'- ard so as to allow the latter to'fbeV lowered to assume al folded or inactive position." "A furthergobject rests vin providing' the upper end ofthe standardfwith a bifurcated of the supporting shelf, `in lorder, that `when the shelf islowered the same will lie closely adj acentand parallel to `the side of the table "upon which it is vmounted and whenfraised the shelf will be swung to assume a position perpendicularto the table, novel locking land releasing means vbeing provided forv maintainingthefshelf in its extended or active position wherein theV shelf lies a horizon'- head to which isv pivotally connectedion'e end` tal plane substantially at ,right .angles to thel lowered andv adjusted with conveniencefandy facility, and wherein'the locking mechanism isjof a positive and automatic character, devoid ofset screws and the like totheend of assuring the retention of the shelf structure inany desired position of adjustment.

Vith these and other objects in view, as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features of construction, combinations-of elements and arrangements of parts hereinafter -to be fully described and pointed out in thev appended claims.

In the accompanying drawingz- Figure l is a front elevation of the combined shelf and table comprising the present invention, I A Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof,`l

Figure Sis anenlarged vertical Vsectional view taken through the shelf and the connection therewith withV the supportingl standard,

' Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 4 4 of Figure 3, f yFigure 5l is a vertical sectional View disclosing the means for maintaining the sup porting standard in various vertical v*positions of' adjustment, Figure is a detailsectional .View'on ythe line 6-#6 of Figure 5. i j

Referring more particular to the drawings the numerall designates the improved table comprising the present invention. vIn' the present instance this table is'rformed from v sheetmetal and includes a cabinet body for the accommodation of drawers or the like 3.' The top 4 of the table being of plane formation for the accommodation of articles deposited thereonand, inthis instance, the corner posts 5 of the table are extended to provide depending'legs 6 having their lower end sprovide'd'with rollers or the like 7 In combination withthis table there is provided an improved adjustable. yshelf structure 8 which, as shown inY Figure 1, is capablewof assuming, when vactively positioned, a horizontaldplaney for the accommodation of food-trays,v books or other mate'rialsfwhich maybe placed thereon. This being designated by the numeral 10 and the lower by vthe numeral 11. Slidably received within these brackets is a vertical standard 12, and in this instance of square and hollow formation so as to be light in weight, possess adequate mechanical strength and'to be of the head 13.

non-rotatably Vreceived within the brackets 1() and 11. Y

rIhe upper end of the standard 12 is provided with a head 13 formed with a socket 14 for the reception of a tongue 15 formed with the supporting frame 16 of the shelf 3. The tongue 15 is apertured for the reception of a pivot pin 17, which extends transversely through vthe walls of the socket 14. The

. axis of this pin is disposed horizontally, so

that the' shelf may be swung in a vertical plane from its inactive to active positions and vice versa.

In order to lock the shelf in its raised or active position the tongue or extension 15 is 'provided with a bore 1S for the slidable reception of a locking rod 19. rlhis rod is surrounded by means of avspring 2 0, arranged in the bore 18 and engaged with the rod so as to force the latter inv the direction The outer end of the rod 19 is formed with offset studs 21, which are slidably positioned within slots 22 formed in the supporting-member 16, the end port-ions of the studs21 are arranged to be received within open sided recesses 22 provided in the arcuate walls 23 of the head 13, the said walls 23 being struck about an'v are whose center is the axis of the'pin'17. It will be seen that as the shelf is raised the studs 21 will move over the walls 23 until the shelf has assumed a substantially horizontal position, where the studs 21 rregister substantially with the recesses 22. Y When this registration occurs the spring 20 acts to force thestuds into said recesses so as to lock the shelf against pivotal movement about the pin 17. To release the shelf from this locked position, the outer end of the rod 19 is provided with `an offset portion 24, arranged adjacent to the outer and Yuiiduer edge of the shelf 3. vlidanifestly, by grasping the odset portion24 andy sliding the rod out-- wardly, the studs, 21 may, against the resistance of the spring 20, be removed from said recesses so as to allow the shelf to' swing downwardly. VIt will be observed, however, that this manual release is onlyfnecessary whenthe shelf is to be moved'to an inactive or support in order to fasten the shelf structure in its horizontal or elevated position.

VIt is also necessary in a table of this character vto provide for the vertical adjustment of the shelf structure.V The present invention accomplishes this'in a very simple yet effective manner. As shown in Figure 5 the lower end of the standard is providedwith a plurality of ratchet teeth 25, and the lower bracket 11 has pivot/ed thereto a pawl or detent 26 positioned to engage gravitationally the teeth 25 so as to prevent normally downward movement of the standard. The head ofthe standard is provided with a handle 27 for convenience in manual grasping, and it will be understood that by applying lifting forces to said standard, through the handle 27, the said `standard may be elevated throughout an appreciable range of vertical adjustment. Also, due to the pawl 26 it will be manifest that the standard will be locked automatically in any of its vertical positions of adjustment as the standard is beingV raised, since the cooperation between the pawl 26 and the teeth 25 is such as to secureY in its collapsed orV folded position, the nurse maywith .one'hand elevate the standard'by grasping the ,handle 27y and lifting the standard. Wvhe'n the desired elevation has been reached the standard is locked insuch position.- This,vthen, frees the Vhand and permits the operator to grasp the outer end of theshelf structureso as to swing 'the latter about its pivotf17.: Whenfthe shelf has been raised to assume a true horizontal planethe .studs 21 are broughtinto registration with thereces'ses 2 2 andthe shelf is locked automatically in Aits horizontal. position. It will be observed that by this construction the operator has employed but none hand in Vcarrying out the adjustment, since the other hand may be used in carryingan Y object independent of the shelf. Y To release the detentl fromits'locking poe sition inengagement with thevstandard 12, j Y

the pivot 28 upon whichsaid pawlis mountfV ed is provided with a depending crank 29 with Vwhich is connected a link 30havingf connection with a foot Vpedal31 pivotally carried in Vconnection with the side of the its pivotal axis 17, until said shelf structure is positioned adjacent and parallel the side wall 9 of the table. The pedal 3l may then be pressed by the foot of the operator so as to release the detent or pawl 26, thus allowing the shelf structure to be lowered to assume its inactive position.

In view of the foregoing it will be seen that the present invention provides a simple and improved horizontal table wherein is provided an associated shelf structure by which a lateral extension is provided lfor the table permitting of many uses in a sick room. The construction has the advantage of being positive in carrying out its several functions and extremely convenient to 'operate. While the preferred form of the invention vhas been specifically described'and illustrated, it Will be understood, never-theless, that departures from the disclosures may be made -without departing from the spirit of the invention -as set forth in the pending claims. Y

What is claimed is:

l. An apparatus of the class described, of

a column carried by a wall, a head fixed to' the upper end of said column and formed with an arcuate wall having an open ended horizontal slot, a shelf, an extension on said shelf pivoted to said head, a spring pressed latch bar mounted to slide within a bore in said extension, and provided with a crosspin adapted to lie against said arcuate wall when the shelf is swung on its pivotal connec-tion to a folded position, and to be received within said horizontal slot whenesaid shelf is raised to its elevated position.

2. An apparatus ofthe class'described, theV combination with a supporting wall, of a -column adjustably mounted with respect to a wall, a head fixed to the upperend of said 'column formed to include a pair of arcuately shaped walls having horizontally positioned open ended slots formed therein, a shelf, an extension on said shelf pivotally mounted Vbetween said walls, said pivot constitutes the axis from which the arc of said Vwalls is struck, a spring pressed latch bar WORTHIE W. MOREY. EDWARD R. ARMSTRONG. 

